Every year we celebrate Black History Month, but these Black restaurant owners and chefs in South Jersey and Pennsylvania share their histories through the food they prepare for guests year-round.
From fried chicken to smoked barbecue, their dishes tell the stories of their ancestors, drawing from family recipes, regional traditions and ancestral experiences.
So this year, we spoke to four chefs about what food means to them and how their histories influence their menus. Real Black history is in the food
At Booker s Cafe in Salem, New Jersey, Frank Booker serves oxtails and pigs feet scraps of meat from which slaves would create meals.